2009 Napa Valley Merlot
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Tasting notes
Medium red. Aromas of redcurrant, tobacco leaf, fresh herbs and chocolatey oak. Not a particularly fat or sweet style of merlot but sappy and lively, with oak spices perking up the intense currant and herb flavors. Not quite as creamy as the other two current red releases from this winery but very nicely balanced and persistent, finishing with fine-grained tannins and late notes of licorice and herbs.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2009 Merlot is an attractive, fleshy wine graced with expressive dark red fruit, flowers, sweet spices and licorice. The wine reveals gorgeous radiance and a supple, inviting personality ideally suited to drinking over the next few years.
The 2009 Merlot is an attractive, fleshy wine graced with expressive dark red fruit, flowers, sweet spices and licorice. The wine reveals gorgeous radiance and a supple, inviting personality ideally suited to drinking over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015. Shafer’s iconic Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select gets the lion’s share of the attention here, but the rest of the wines also deserve serious consideration. I have been especially impressed with the Syrah-based Relentless on my last two visits here. Tel. (707) 944-2877
About the producer
The site of Shafer has been around since 1880, and grapes continued to be grown here, even during prohibition. It is said that some wine was made here during that time. In 1972, John Shafer bought the property in the Stag’s Leap district, he immediately began planting the Cabernet on the hillside.